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Tender Bar

Watching The Tender Bar was the uplifting experience I needed after a hard week. My problems faded away as I got immersed into the story. The character of Uncle Charlie was my favorite. It takes one person like that in a child's life to make a real difference. He is able to pull the main weight of the void in JR's life so the surrounding cast of characters can do their part to move this kid's life in a positive direction. Without Uncle Charlie things would quickly fall apart. Yet he carries his significant responsibility and influence on JR's life with a deft, light touch.

And that makes all the difference - his words of wisdom have staying power, he is able to navigate his nephew with an ease that parents would find enviable. The forces of adversity shaped the literary talents of this writer. A normal, suburban family upbringing would unlikely be able to produce the same outcomes. The grandfather was an interesting character too - depicted as not being generous with his love. So while he provides what he can to his family including two adult kids who seem to drift through life, he is not there emotionally. It is as if the kids are waiting for their quota of love, care and affection from their father to gather the strength to strike out on their own. 

The family configuration in the movie brought to mind one that I know well. The two children on in her late 40s and the other in his early 50s live in their childhood home with their old parents, playing out the rites of childhood and young adulthood ad-infinitium. The father now in his 80s was a provider but emotionally frozen to his offspring. 

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